I can't get on an airplane without being searched but someone can build a huge facility down at the dock without disclosing what it is? I'm missing something somewhere. What has a greater potential for endangering mankind, me with a ball point pen or a mysterious floating barge.

This is just a test bed for their floating barge patents. Any actual production they're making, is just being secretive to get some buzz going. Why make a secret out of something that everyone has already seen?

I suspect the Port Authority and Coast Guard knows what's going on on those boats just fine.

Yeah, and that makes it more and more interesting. Why have one on each coast?

First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price? Only, this one can be kept secret. Controlled by Americans, built by the Japanese subcontractors. Who, also, happen to be, recently acquired, wholly-owned subsidiaries...

Voiceofreason01:WhyteRaven74: Google got a patent for a floating data center a few years back. I'd wager dollars to donuts that's what this is.

WTF is wrong with the patent office that something like that is patentable?

Yeah, allowing someone to patent a giant machine that's never been made before and which presents all sorts of unforeseen challenges? What's next, granting a patent on a medicine or new metal alloy? Hmmph!

Another challenging facing any such enterprise would be in justifying why Google would need the new operation to be water-based.

"The law is crystal clear in this case: The Bay is not to be used for something that can be built on land," BCDC director Larry Goldzband told the station.

"So we can move it." is not the type of simple answer this kind of over-empowered martinet local environmental commissioner in California will accept, so Google's influence with the judge who does accept it will be instantly decried.